SA comedian Tol Ass Mo and celebrity stylist Mome welcomed a new addition to their family. Mome spilled the beans in August, and a month later a beautiful baby girl was born. The proud parents named her TeAmo Tshepahalo Oluhleuthando Mahlangu, and in her Instagram announcement Mome wrote 'God’s timing is the best time in life when you work with him not against him'.

A post shared by jessicankosi (@jessicankosi) on Oct 12, 2018 at 3:07am PDT

lsiBaya’sJessica Nkosi decided to keep her pregnancy a very private affair because she didn’t want it linked to any kind of drama. After months of speculation, Jessica revealed her baby bump on the cover of True Love magazine. Jessica and Ntokozo Dlamini of Uzalofame welcomed their little princess, Namisa, in August. BABY BUMPS

Gospel star Khaya Mthethwa and his wife Ntando Kunene-Mthethwa (Miss SA 2016) are expecting their first child. The couple tied the knot in 2017 after dating for a few months. They announced their good news on Instagram and shared adorable pictures of Ntando and her growing baby bump.

Big News for the Mandela family! Zoleka Mandela is about to become a mother for the fifth time. She and her husband Thierry Bashala shared the news on social media, and are looking forward to the new addition to their family. REASONS TO MOURN We've lost a couple of national treasures in 2018. Jazz legend Hugh Masekela left us broken-hearted in January. He passed away after a long battle with prostate cancer. His last wish was to receive a private funeral, which his family honoured.

Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away in April, leaving the country in mourning. Thousands gathered at Orlando stadium in Soweto for the funeral and among them were US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin died in August. Her star-studded funeral was unforgettable, with tributes performed by Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson. Aretha was buried in a gold-plated casket, wearing a red dress and red high heels. Respect, indeed!

THEY MADE US PROUD

Kagiso Rabada quickly became SA’s favourite sportsman with an impressive list of accomplishments. He landed the Wisden Golden Boy of 2018 – an award for the best men's cricketer in the world aged 23 or younger. He nabbed the No 1 spot in world Test cricket rankings by being the leading wicket-taker in the 2018 calendar. Kagiso also picked up six awards at the Cricket South Africa awards, including 'South African Cricketer of the Year'.

Caster Semenya broke multiple records, the latest being a speedy 4:00.71 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The record she broke was set by Zola Budd 34 years ago!

Sports retail giant Nike celebrated the 30th anniversary of their famous slogan 'Just Do It'. The Nike commercial advert featured global sports icons such as Serena Williams, Lebron James and our very own Caster. Caster also graced the cover of Forbes Woman Africamagazine.

You’re never too old to shine! Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu (83) received an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg in recognition of her legacy as a cultural entrepreneur. The citation read, 'Esther is a living example of how authentic African knowledge can be articulated meaningfully and sustainably.'

WHO SAID ‘I DO’? In March soccer player Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane and sports presenter Mpho tied the knot in a colourful traditional wedding ceremony after being together for several years.

South African cricketer Temba Bavuma also left bachelorhood behind when he married longtime partner Phila in an extravagant floral-themed ceremony in Franschhoek, Western Cape.

Actress Priyanka Chopra and singer Nick Jonas tied the knot in December. The couple plan on having kids together soon.

WHO PARTED WAYS?After much speculation, Bonang Matheba revealed that it was over between her and rapper AKA. Despite endless speculation, we’re all still pretty much in the dark about the reasons for the break-up.

Ayanda Thabethe and Mthoko 'Zulu' Mkhathini called it quits after dating for almost three years. The reason for their break still remains a mystery but a post on Ayanda’s Instagram feed said, ‘I’m not looking. I believe life will bring me to the right person at the right time. I'm not in a rush either.'

Idols SApresenter Proverb and former Miss SA Liesl Laurie also shocked us in October when they decided to part ways. Their extensive perfect-romance posts on Instagram were hastily deleted.

COMEBACK KID

Pearl Thusi made major acting moves throughout the year. She's been a regular on the American drama series Quanticoand she'll be starring in Africa's first-ever African Netflix original series titled Queen Sono. She posted a message on Instagram saying 'When the Universe/God says "I heard you”. This is what it feels like. I'm so proud and grateful for everyone that made this happen. This was a dream of mine as a little girl. Let's make history@netflixsa /@netflix '.

Marvel’s Black Pantherwas one the biggest movies to hit theatres, and featured a proudly African-inspired wardrobe, representing elements of cultures across the continent from isiZulu and Sesotho to isiXhosa – the most prominent being the traditional Basotho blanket. #WakandaForever!

Hollywood was turned upside down with protests and campaigns that sought to uncover the darker side of the film and TV industry. The #MeToo movement reached unbelievable heights in 2018, with so many celebrities coming out to expose incidents of sexual abuse and assault happening in Hollywood. This was followed by another campaign, #TimesUp, founded by Hollywood celebrities with the aim of supporting women, men and the LGBT community needing legal defence in cases of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.

In 2018 Jacob Zuma resigned from office, leaving the path for then Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over the reins as leader of South Africa. Interesting times ahead – the next national elections will be held in 2019…

Thuso Mbedu bagged her second Emmy nomination for her role as Winnie on Is’thunzi. Thuso flew the South African flag high at the prestigious awards, being the only African nominee in this year’s line-up. She lost out on the accolade to German actress Anna Schudt.

Sho Madjozi shaped the world of local music and fashion in 2018 producing hits like ‘Huku’ and ‘Dumi Hi Phone’. She recently released the track list of her much anticipated album called ‘Limpopo Champions League’ which features DJ PH and Nigerian rapper YCEE.

THE YEAR THAT WAS 2018
Reviewed by Jet Club
on
December 21, 2018
Rating: 5